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Scene-Snippet Sunday and Weekly Winners

Happy Sunday! I’m up to my neck in day-job madness, even on the weekend. This is wrong on so many levels. Sigh.

But how about a flashback scene-snippet today? In honor of Elysian Fields coming out in paperback–FINALLY–on May 13, here’s part of one of my favorite scenes from the book. Do authors have favorite scenes? You bet! I have a guest post coming up on that very topic and will post the link tomorrow.

ALSO, look in your email boxes for the May newsletter this week! I’m almost finished mailing out all the bookmarks from last month, so if you’re waiting for one, it’s on the way. There’s a new bookmark giveaway, plus, for the first time, an exclusive look at the original first chapter of Elysian Fields. It doesn’t appear in the published book at all, since I totally changed the beginning. I still like that chapter, though–hope you do as well. You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking the tab above.

Okay, in this particular scene, Adrian Hoffman (who DJ considers the world’s most annoying wizard) has been assigned to give DJ lessons in elven lore and magic–never mind that he can’t do any but has only studied it at university. They’re at the ruins of the Six Flags amusement part in New Orleans East, and Adrian has asked DJ to show him what she can do with the elven ancestral staff she calls Charlie. I like the whole scene, especially the end, but will only use part of it here:

He laid the staff across my palm but didn’t let go until I finally pulled it away. My aim was notorious, in a bad way, so I searched for a broad target. The side of the Jean Lafitte Pirate Ship ride looked unmissable. I took a deep breath, pointed the staff at the skull and crossbones painted on the ship’s hull (which Jean would never have permitted), and channeled a bit of magic through it.

“Holy Mother of God!” Adrian jumped to his feet as a stream of red fire flew from the tip of the staff and burned a hole in the side of the ship about six feet to the left of where I’d been aiming. He’d never know the difference.

“Um, well, I haven’t gotten to the ‘undo’ lesson yet.” I’d been working on a flame retardant charm but hadn’t perfected it enough for it to work on something as large as the pirate ship. The vial was in my pocket, but the ship would burn down to water and then the fire would be automatically doused. No point in wasting good magic.

Adrian snorted and ran toward the edge of the small boat landing, chanting and twisting his fingers in front of him like he was speaking to the fire in sign language. The flames flickered, then died, leaving a charred, gaping hole.

Adrian fisted his hands on his hips and stared at the ship a few moments before turning back to me with an assessing look.

I gave him one right back. “You’re Blue Congress?” I’d never seen magic like his. It differed from Gerry’s brute-force Red Congress magic and my own methodical rituals. Blues were artistic, creative–a congress I’d never have pegged for Adrian. His magic was poetic, almost delicate. “That was beautiful.”

He looked back at the ship. “Normally, that spell would restore a magicked situation to its previous state, but it apparently doesn’t quite work with elven sorcery. Let’s try something else. Just don’t burn anything down.”

Well, she does, of course. As Alex later notes, “Any day you get to commit arson is a good day.”

Now….did you win a book this week? If you see your name, please email me at suzannej3523 at gmail dot com with the relevant info. I’m slowly getting caught up on mailings so if I owe you something, be patient and it might well arrive this week!

BARB won her choice of books from Rosalie Lario’s Demons of Infernum series. Your choice of digital or print.

VERONICA R won her choice of books from CD Hersh’s Turning Stone Chronicles series. I believe this is digital, so format preference and email is needed.

VAMPEDCHIK won a digital copy of Betty Bolte’s new novel, Traces. Format preference and email, please.

JANIE M won a digital copy of Isabo Kelly’s The Darkness of Glengowyn, so format preference and email.

About Suzanne Johnson

Author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and suspense. As Suzanne Johnson, she is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series (Royal Street; River Road: Elysian Fields, Pirate's Alley, Belle Chasse, Frenchmen Street (March 2018). Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the Penton Legacy series (Redemption; Absolution; Omega; Storm Force; Allegiance; ILLUMINATION); The Collectors series (Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Deadly, Calm, and Cold); and the Wilds of the Bayou series (Wild Man's Curse; Black Diamond).